Roman Catholicism and Contraceptions
The Church forbids
sex outside marriage, so its teachings about birth control should be understood in the context of husband and wife.
The Roman Catholic Church believes that using
contraception is "intrinsically evil" in itself, regardless of the consequences. Catholics are only permitted to use natural methods of birth control.
But the Church does not condemn things like the pill or condoms in themselves. What is morally wrong is using such things with the intention of preventing conception. Using them for other purposes is fine - for example, using the pill to regulate the periods of a woman who is not in a sexual relationship is not wrong.
The Church teaches that using
artificial contraception is wrong because:
· it is against 'natural law'
· it breaks the natural connection between the procreative and the unitive purposes of sex
· it turns sex into a non-marital act
· it gives human beings the power to decide when a new life should begin - that power belongs to God
· it leads to widespread immorality
· it damages the institution of marriage
· it reduces male respect for women
· it gives human beings the idea that they can have complete power over the body
· it allows the implementation of eugenic programmes
Commentary
This is one of the most controversial areas of the Church's moral teachings; partly because birth control is now accepted in most of the West, but also because the philosophical and theological ideas behind the ban are hard to understand.
As a result, many Roman Catholics see the ban as arbitrary and unreasonable, but in fact the ban is based on a thorough analysis of the issues involved.
Catholic objections to artificial contraception are partly based on 'natural law' and partly on the bad consequences that will result if contraception is widely used.
But Catholic policy on birth control is also derived from the way the Church views the nature of marital sexuality and responsible parenthood. The Church teaches that the physical expression of love between husband and wife in sexual intercourse can't be separated from the reproductive implications of both the act and marriage.
Sex is seen as intimately involved in God's design for the universe, and as something profoundly important that involves a person's mind and spirit as well as their body.
The Catholic Church does not see any point in putting forward the various arguments that show the benefits of contraception to individuals or to the world. Pope Paul VI put it like this: "It is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it."